After the Paris terror attacks, what next?

Image from StateofMind13.

On November 13, Paris was the scene of a brutal coordinated attack, with bombings and six mass shootings at restaurants, bars, the Bataclan concert hall, and the Stade de France stadium where a France-Germany football match was taking place.

Scenes of Paris post-attack were chaotic, with the wounded and traumatised covered in thermal blankets, ambulances, medics and emergency police at every corner. The attack was the deadliest on French soil since World War II. 129 victims have been confirmed dead.

After declaring a state of emergency and closing the nation's borders, President Francois Hollande declared the attacks an act of war, and that in response France would "lead a war which will be pitiless." Two days later, Al-Raqqah in Syria, the Syrian headquarters of Daesh (also known as IS, ISIS, and ISIL) was bombed in retaliation, in an escalation of the ongoing Opération Chammal.

As politicians put out their prepared statements expressing grief and solidarity with the French people, one particular United States presidential wannabe made the show all about him, hijacking the conversation to turn it to gun control.

More guns, more vows to end terrorists, more calls to war against Daesh and religious extremism.

It's almost as if we believe that the combined efforts of the United States, Britain, and France since 2001 have been effective at all. Almost as if we believe that the only way to stop the escalating violence and wars is to, well, fight back with more violence and wars.

Almost as if we believe that each time fighting hatred with hatred has not resulted in the creation of even more radicals and terrorists.

In many parts of Europe, xenophobia is rampant, and there is a steadily escalating atmosphere of fear. Everywhere there is an increasing guardedness of anyone who associates themselves with Islam, even though numbers tell us that the estimated 80,000 Daesh militants constitute only 0.00005% of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims.

France has always had a complicated relationship with its Muslim population. Some of France's imams were already being expelled, and the backlash to the Muslim community was immediate after the November 13 attacks. These attacks will do nothing to quell rising fear and suspicion. Muslims in headscarves praying for victims at Parisian shrines find themselves the subject of insult.

Paris is only one symptom of a larger problem, the one most familiar and therefore the one we pay the most attention to. But what happened in Paris has happened - and is still happening - to so many countries and so many people who are unfortunate enough to be born and live in the wrong place.

Syrian refugees to Europe are fleeing from the very people who perpetrated the Paris attacks. To them, attacks like those in Paris are a common occurrence. Western media reports the "latest" attack in Beirut as though they have become the norm. Just another Middle Eastern attack claimed by Daesh, unnamed victims, buried in the centrefold of the World News section.

The unfortunate fact: No one pays attention until it happens to you.

On 31 October 2015, Metrojet Flight 9268 crashed in northern Sinai after departing from Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt en route to Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was carrying 217 passengers and seven crew members, and the crash killed all on board. It is thought that the cause of the crash was a planted explosive device, with baggage handlers suspected of being involved. Daesh claimed responsibility.

Islamophobic sentiment in Paris will only rise in the wake of these terror attacks, which follow the January attacks to Charlie Hebdo. They are not likely to be any more welcoming to the influx of Syrian refugees, especially now that fears about Daesh militants and sleeping agents travelling into Europe alongside refugees can be confirmed.

And yet, recall that this is the organisation that al-Qaeda kicked out for "notorious intransigence."

What happens now that the Daesh fight has been brought to Western soil? A few things, to start off with: anger, solidarity, upcoming analyses, stories of narrowly escaping survivors, claims of unfair media attention, promises of more action.

And then there are these guys, who sum up all our thoughts and feelings better than the New York Times ever will.



Praise be, John Oliver. Praise be.



Just like Waleed Aly says, Daesh (or ISIL, or ISIS, whatever your chosen name is) is trying to start World War 3. What is frustrating is that it seems almost they're succeeding - there isn't simply global condemnation, but there are outright declarations of war. And indeed, war in the Middle East has been going on for a long time now.

Or does this not count because this time the enemy is not a western power?

When I asked this question on Facebook, someone responded no:

States aren't in a state of total war. In ww2 multiple states were in total war. In other words, all of its economy and production are optimised for the war effort.

And while I agree that there has been no outright declaration of total war, we cannot deny that Daesh is trying to steer things that way. Frighteningly, Daesh is winning the war of fear - the suspicion of Muslims from non-Muslims, the increasing alienation of Islamic communities.

What do you think happens to people who feel alone? They go to find places where they feel understood, places they think they belong. Somehow they stumble upon Daesh, and before you know it there has been another unwitting subversive radicalisation.

It may not be anything new, but it needs to be said all the same. Hatred begets hatred.

Unless we learn to accept people for who they are, groups like Daesh will keep growing in strength, promising refuge and family and a place the misunderstood can call home. So yes, this is a war - not World War 3 perhaps, not total war, but a war of ideologies.

Samuel P. Huntington was right all along.

We can say what we want, we can display all the solidarity we want, and yet, the world will go on. Barack Obama said that people have become 'numb' to America's 'routine' gun attacks, just as the rest of us have done to terrorist attacks in the Middle East, events to which we pay little attention.

We will talk about this for a little while, put on our little mourning show, and then live life as usual. We will go about our days, have toast and orange juice at breakfast, and watch the latest episode of Breaking Bad.

Change is uncomfortable - change is hard. Changing the way we see friends and neighbours is especially difficult, if we try to shift our view from one of fear to one of love. But change is necessary, for it is the only way that we can get ourselves out of this mess of extremism and hatred.

In war, everyone has their part to play. It is the part of the military to seek and destroy Daesh strongholds and weaken their operations. It is the part of the people to tend to our own communities and avoid alienating those already weak or scared. When there is family to be had among their own communities, there is neither need nor desire to seek out radical alternatives.

The only way forward is one of acceptance, of trust and of welcome.

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The Empire of Death in Paris

Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la mort.
(Stop! Here is the empire of death.)

So begins the dramatic journey into the Catacombs of Paris, famous for containing the skulls and bones of some six million people, romanticising death as art. While some may be creeped out by the idea of walking into what is pretty much someone else's graveyard, it is clear that there are many who are fascinated by the idea - the queue to get into the Catacombs can be as long as three hours, for those who are eager to have a taste of romantic death.

The Catacombs were originally built to house the remains of Paris citizens, a solution to the problem of overcrowded cemeteries. The people whose bones once lay in the cemeteries of Les Innocents found themselves being carted by night to the Tombe-Issoire, where the bones were there arranged in the fashion of some sort of museum.

Being underground, the temperature in the Catacombs remains at a cool 14 degrees Celcius all year round. That certainly doesn't do very much for the eerie atmosphere that comes with being in a tunnel with the remains of 6 million people!

Entrance to the Catacombs is by guided audio tour only, and a limited number of people are allowed into the tunnels at any one time. While this can lead to a very long waiting line to get in (remember to bring a good book while you're waiting in line!), this gives you plenty of time to have a look around and take in the vastness of the Catacombs.

Don't take too long looking around though, you don't want to wind up becoming Catacomb inhabitant six-million-and-one.

It is quite fascinating being able to observe the remains of people who were once alive - who were these people and how did they end up here? - and process the fact that these are the skulls and bones of real people. Some parts of the Catacombs are today graffitied, which is a shame considering that this is the final resting place of these 6 million people, but for the most part the gothic, romantic beauty of the Catacombs have been beautifully preserved since the 18th century.

It is said that this is one of the most haunted places on earth, so if you're adventurous enough to visit, don't be too surprised if you spot an unworldly spectre while you're underground.

For those who are fascinated by the dark and awed by the eerie, the Paris Catacombs are a must-visit.

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Discovering Versailles

Let's first get the obvious out of the way: Versailles is the epitome of opulence. It's the very definition of opulent. It's a place where gold-plating is used on the ceilings, where there isn't a single unadorned corner, where chandeliers hang everywhere... It's no wonder that Versailles has been used as the architectural inspiration for endless other palaces and important buildings of state.

No wonder, also, that it's one of the most visited sights in France and Europe. I mean, look at these crowds!

It took me two hours just to get through the entrance gates - thank goodness for my Kindle and a good pair of walking shoes. Amazingly, despite the endless masses of tourists threatening to cheapen the splendour of the palace, it seemed that Versailles had lost none of its regal charm - from the perfectly pristine palace to the micro-managed gardens, with perfectly sculpted trees and pathways as far as the eye can see.

It's no secret that the French and the English have a sibling rivalry-type relationship. Which is why when my tour guide explained to us the difference between French and English gardens, many laughs were had.

"A French garden is like zees." (Imagine the French accent.) "Eet has many straight lines and every-zeeng is parallel and ze two halves always face each other."

"Ze English gardens are messy and all over ze place."

The Gardens, I thought, were actually far more exciting than the palace. While the Palace was beautiful in its own way, there's nothing quite like getting lost in the mazes of tree-high hedges, wandering around and basking in the French sun, and then stumbling upon a water-fountain with (get this) gold dragons erupting from the surface.

Something that I certainly didn't expect to see: people rowing down a man-made river in the Versailles gardens! It seemed to me something almost too normal for a place of as immense importance as this - yet, surely this must have been something not too different from the types of activities that those who lived here must have engaged in.

It seems, in some ways, that Versailles a perfect metaphor for all of Paris, and of France. Old-world charm and the remnants of a time long gone, once cloaked in splendour, staunchly resolute in its refusal to be cheapened by tourists. A place that is beautiful, proud, and timeless.

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Walking down Champs-Elysées

I thought it was pretty cool that I managed to see this pretty awesome Occupy protest, or at least its signboard.

It also happened to be the day of Fête de la Musique (June 21) so everyone was out playing music in full swing.



Mandatory visit to Sephora.


It's like Paris built the little centre divider in the middle of the road just for tourists to stand there and take beautiful symmetrical pictures of the Arc de Triomphe!

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A journey into the Louvre

Whether you know it from art history class or the Da Vinci code, there's no denying that the Louvre is one of the most famous buildings in the world. The contrast between the modernity of the famous glass pyramid and the hundred year old building that surrounds it is the recipe for 'iconic'.

The central staircase into the Louvre, from the glass pyramid entrance.

The Louvre is famous for two things: Their ancient Egypt collection - which is one of the best in the world, with real mummies and all that sort of good stuff - and of course the Mona Lisa, or La Joconde as it's called in French.

First think of the person who lives in disguise, Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies. Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend, The middle of middle and end of the end? And finally give me the sound often heard, During the search for a hard-to-find word. Now string them together and answer me this, Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?

Yes, it is a Harry Potter quote. I'm a fan :)

I don't read hieroglyphics, but this probably says something like "All hail the mighty Pharaoh" or something of the sort. 

Eventually I arrived at the Mona Lisa, which is famously underwhelming in real life. I was more interested in the crowds clamouring to take selfies in front of the Mona Lisa.

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Quirky Paris

Perhaps one of the most striking things that you notice about Paris right from the very get-go is just how very grandiose it all is. After all, there aren't many cities in the world that conjure up an image quite as vivid as Paris. Paris is a city that is, for lack of a better way to phrase it, iconic.

The Basilica de Sacre-Coeur, Montmartre.

Like any big city, a traveller here would do well to watch their belongings in case of pickpockets - although I found it funny that here, warning tourists against pickpockets was a little more explicit than usual.

Any visit to Paris wouldn't be complete without going to see the Louvre and its famous glass pyramid, prominently featured in The Da Vinci Code (protip: students in the EU get entry for free, and you don't need to be on a Holy Grail-hunting mission either).

Croissants, because, y'know. France.

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Une semaine à Paris

If you're into Game of Thrones (and if you're not, you really should be) then you'll be looking at that photo and wondering where Jon, Bran, and Robb are.

It seems that they might have traded the North for a clothier life.



There are some very iconic things about Paris - always the Seine, always the Eiffel Tower, always the Louvre and Arc de Triomphe at the end of the Champs-Élysées.

So I suppose it's only right that I put a mandatory photo of the Notre-Dame here.



I have to admit that despite having been to a fair number of countries, I hadn't done a Sandeman's Walking Tour until going to Paris. These free walking tours are pretty cool - they take you around the city and are great for freshie orientations, and at the end of it all request a tip instead of a fixed price for the tour.

Since Paris is pretty big, I decided to give in to the walking tour and get a head start orienting myself.



[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="900"] Le Musée d'Orsay.[/caption]





[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="900"] The Eiffel Tower, all the way from across the city.[/caption]

This is Paris, so of course there are going to be a ton of street artists and musicians around. It's what the city is known for, after all - isn't it?



Did you know that the musical The Phantom of the Opera (as it was written by Gaston Leroux) was set in the Opéra Garnier in Paris? Being a POTO fan - I've been in love with the musical since I was 8, and yes I am totally a sell-out - there's no way I could miss seeing the real-life Opéra Garnier.





More iconic Paris sights - the Basilica de Sacre-Cœur from across the city.



This is the Montmartre area.



The Montmartre area is known for being the indie, artsy part of Paris, which probably explains why the street art here is so darn awesome.



I started out thinking Paris was overrated, but slowly the city grew on me. It's not too bad, even if the RER does smell like pee.

Stay tuned.

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